Talk of the Bay: Workers group wins high praise in new book

By Times Staff Writers
Published September 15, 2007

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is praised for its key role in bringing several farm worker slavery cases to successful prosecution in court in Nobodies, a new book by New York City author John Bowe. Florida is one of several locations where Bowe exposes the high human cost of low prices in a global economy. The coalition, which received a letter of appreciation from the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has also pushed for higher wages for farm workers. It has won penny-a-pound increases for tomato pickers from Taco Bell and McDonald's. It is now mounting a similar campaign against Burger King.

Fiction for Florida: Insurer cuts rates

Without threats, name-calling or a fistful of subpoenas waved in its face, insurance giant Chubb voluntarily agreed this week to roll back its homeowner insurance rates by 18.4 percent, saving the company's 18,000 policyholders about $14.5-million a year. Surprised? Don't be. This happened in California, not here. Steve Poizner, California's insurance commissioner, said he's been urging insurers to lower their rates and that Chubb executives were among those he has talked to. Must have been some talk. Aside: Chubb operates as a surplus lines carrier in Florida. That means it sells mostly high-end, supplemental homeowners insurance and is not state regulated,

Clarification

Callers to a published toll-free number for opting out of prescreened credit card offers are told there is a fee involved to complete the process. An article Friday about the option indicated the service was free.

Money Talk

If you're thinking about a CD, you might want to act before Tuesday's Federal Reserve meeting. Visit blogs.tampabay.com/money